Clock Tower

From San Marco Basin, looking towards the Piazzetta, between the Doges' Palace and Zecca, the eye falls on that jewel in the building that closes the view after the Basilica, of which you see the south side, the Clock Tower.
In the famous Diaries the reporter Marino Sanudo, on June 10, 1493, writes: They began to demolish homes in the revenues of the street Haberdashery Piazza San Marco... to the foundation of an excellent watch ... and will be the most beautiful in Italy"

In 1499 when the tower was inaugurated, the building consisted only in the central part, without the two side wings that were added in the eighteenth century. Was one of three watches with mechanical movements existing in the world, at that time the most advanced and the most technologically advanced movements not only of the dial, but also up to the Madonna and the movements of the Mori that sounded the bell.
Starting from the ground, a great arc starts this vertical panoramic of the tower, to gain access to the Marzaria , a place where in the '500 any things that you know, you can ask for it, and here you fund it. This is the ground layer of the building, as close to the people and the things of life, fabrics, silverware, swords, fiube , the smiths.

You then go to the large dial which shows the phases of the moon, with a moon only half golden, to indicate the exact time of the phase of the moon in the sky, very important thing for the time when all the work and on the move were cadenced by the phases of the moon, all the constellations of the zodiac, whose depictions are huge zodiac signs covered in gold leaf that sparkle when the sun shines on them and, of course, the time display is divided into 24 parts. But by the time 24 hours left from the rising and setting of the sun, so a guardian, said the fitter, corrected, with the passing of the seasons, the beginning and the end of the day. This mechanism, particularly cutting edge, was the epitome of scientific knowledge of the end of '400.
Above the dial is the Madonna Enthroned located at cross between two ports from which the clock shows the time. During the week of the Ascension, in what was once the Festa della Sensa, the door to the right of the Madonna come out in succession, each blink of time, an angel playing the trumpet, followed by the three Magi that passes in front of Mary, bowing to fit in right door.
Upstairs, under the balustrade of the terrace, you see a large Lion of St. Mark going gold which occupies the entire width of the building in a blue sky pointed star.

The power of Serenissima, represented by Lion of St. Mark, has a well-defined position in the hierarchy of power Venetian; it arises over Madonna, then on the power of the church, over the dial technologically advanced, then over scientific knowledge and over the Mercerie, earthly things, everyday objects, but is subject to a single power, power of Time, represented by two major players of the bell, one appearance in youth and beardless, the other old, white-haired and bearded.

[[Immagine:Gioventu.jpg|150px|right] On top of the tower, on a mezzanine floor over the balustrade overlooking St. Mark's Square, two large bronze figures chime bell that lies between them. For their dark color of bronze casting, now the Venetians have appointed them Moors.

These chime the hour twice consecutively, with a gap of five minutes, to give way to those who missed the first instance, to know what time following the chimes of the second measure.
Several times in its long history, the tower was restored. The last renovation was completed in 2006 and on July 27 a large evening party has returned to the city with the restored tower clock in perfect working order thanks to a sponsor in watchmaking.

The Clock Tower can be visited by appointment by calling 848082000, or only from abroad: +39 041 42730892, staring at a phone booking, for no more than 12 people per group.
Will set up a meeting at the ticket office of the Museo Correr where the guide will distribute tickets and will lead you at the entrance of the Tower after crossing the St. Mark's Square and having taken the archway leading to the Mercerie.

You will be asked visitors to leave bulky items, backpacks or umbrellas, in a closet after traveling just a few steps. The narrow stairs and the numerous steps would be difficult to go with bulky items. Remember to bring your camera to capture the beautiful landscape that will appear on the terraces and from the top of the Clock Tower.

The route includes the vision of checks and balances that operate the mechanism and the real machine clock, the beating heart at the center of the tower. These are located on the first and second floors of this tower narrow and tall.

Today the counterweights are raised electrically soon as they touch the button limit . Before electricity was the fitter to hand-loading all the mechanisms, with a series of pulleys and cranks.
Much of the mechanism is that old, but some parts, the more worn, were redone equal and replaced during the restoration completed in 2006.

The statue of the angel with the trumpet and the three Magi on Epiphany and on the feast day of the Ascension, Sensa, passing the Madonna bow, are located on the third floor, at the height of the Madonna the child and the drums that mark the hour, with the mechanism by which they pass off the four statues in the days above written.
The doors that are located behind the statue are the original of the '400, it is placed every time the angel and the Magi have to go out on the dates set out, while the statues were rebuilt in the late' 700.
The upper floor is a sight not to be missed. Leads to the two terraces overlooking the St. Mark's Square, the Basilica di San Marco, the Bacino di San Marco in one breathtaking view of the greatness and power of the Serenissima.
The last staircase leads to the foot of the two Mori three steps overlooking the terrace access. In this way they become visible from Earth every time that ring the hours.

They are particularly beautiful, seen up close. The bust turns around a pivot at each stroke of the bell and the weights are placed on the first floor that allows the mechanism to accomplish this continuous and perpetual motion that almost every day and enchanting Venetians and tourists every year pass before more six hundred years of history and power in the ancient world, this tower is.